God of War’s Kratos Can Never Truly Be Succeeded by Atreus, With Good Reason

God Of War (2018) introduced a very different version of Kratos, beginning a deep, therapeutic journey of self-discovery, growth, and redemption.

By the end of God Of War Ragnarok and its sequel DLC Valhalla, Kratos is in a very different place as he’s finally accepted that his past doesn’t define him.

We don’t know what’s next for the God Of War (or God Of Hope) but we do know a new game is on the way. Speculation points to Egypt as the next destination after the Norse saga but previous games have left it open to theories in the meantime.

Other fan theories suggest Kratos’ days are numbered, leading to Atreus being the new figurehead of the franchise.

I couldn’t disagree more with this, and while I already don’t think Kratos can be succeeded, I think the notion of Atreus taking his place to be completely unrealistic. Here’s why.

Atreus Is Not His Father

Throughout God Of War (2018), Kratos is trying to teach Atreus how to survive, and while he goes about it in the wrong way and inadvertently puts a strain on their relationship as a result, his heart is in the right place the entire time.

One point Kratos really tries to drive home is that Atreus must be better than his father, which means controlling his emotions, his anger, and staying out of trouble. In other words, be a responsible god.

When the two part ways, the pair leave each other on good terms with Atreus ultimately being a better man than Kratos could have ever hoped he’d be.

Sony Interactive Entertainment

However, while the pair have a lot in common, they couldn’t be more different, and that’s why Atreus can’t be the next god of war.

Atreus leaves to get away from his father and his legacy, using the compassion he gained from his mother to go out and unite the giants for a better future. He leaves to become a leader for his people, whereas Kratos stays to be a god for his.

So while I think Atreus will return for the next game, or potentially get a spin-off later down the line, I can’t see him becoming the new face of the series.

Both characters are on very different paths and while there’ll surely be some crossover, the story of God Of War will end with Kratos dying as a hero before everything gets rebooted.